Eight alleged rebels surrender
BACOLOD City – Eight persons believed to be former members of the New People’s Army (NPA) surrendered to the Joint Local Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (JLTF-ELCAC) and Local Peace Engagement (LPE) Cluster at the Army’s 62nd Infantry Battalion (IB) headquarters in Barangay Libas, Isabela, Negros Occidental last Sunday.

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – Eight persons believed to be former members of the New People’s Army (NPA) surrendered to the Joint Local Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (JLTF-ELCAC) and Local Peace Engagement (LPE) Cluster at the Army’s 62nd Infantry Battalion (IB) headquarters in Barangay Libas, Isabela, Negros Occidental last Sunday.
In his message, Brigadier General Inocencio Pasaporte, commander of 303rd Infantry Brigade (IBde), said the surrender of the former rebels is a big slap on the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG), which celebrated their 53rd anniversary on Dec 26.
Pasaporte said that this development marked the end of the bondage of these rebel returnees from the alleged exploitation, lies, and deception of the NPAs.
“We expect more NPA members to come-out in the future, he added.
The former rebels received Christmas gifts and goods from JLTF-ELCAC and the 303rd IBde.
The rebel returnees, in a ceremony, burned the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA flag to formally withdraw their support and affiliation from the NPA followed by a candle lighting, Prayer of Peace, and release of white balloons that symbolized hope, peace, and unity among the Negrosanons.
The LPE is one of the 12 clusters of National Task Force-ELCAC, the multi-agency body created by virtue of Executive Order No. 70 or the “Whole-of-Nation Approach”.
Since its implementation in 2019, LPEs made a significant impact on the peace and security situation of communities in Central Negros where NPA members have returned to the folds of the law.
The LPE is an instrument that enables the government not only to directly engage the rebels in a peaceful discourse but also to confer with the residents in communities affected by armed conflict.
Article Information
Comments (0)
LEAVE A REPLY
No comments yet
Be the first to share your thoughts!
Related Articles
DENR pushes 2027 deadline for new Iloilo bulk water supply
A top official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said Iloilo must have a new bulk water supply operational by 2027, warning that the city’s rapid urban growth will further increase water demand in the coming years. Carlos Primo David, DENR undersecretary for integrated environmental science and head of

Treñas-Chu slams MPIW over permit delay claims
Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu criticized Metro Pacific Iloilo Water on Thursday for what she described as the company’s failure to directly raise concerns about alleged delays in the processing of permits for its desalination plant project in Barangay Ingore, La Paz. “I would have appreciated it if MPIW had informed
